2023 Football State Championships by Georgia High School Association

2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

2 | WWW.GHSA.NET

DECEMBER 11-13, 2023

2023 CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

FEATURES

MONDAY, DECEMBER 11

Letter from the Executive Director ................................................ 6 Past State Champions ............................................................... 20

FLAG DIV. 1 (A-4A) CHAMPIONSHIP

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Information ..........................................21

CLASS A DIV. 1 CHAMPIONSHIP

TEAM INFORMATION

2:00 PM – SE Bulloch vs. North Oconee 4:00 PM – Swainsboro vs. Prince Avenue

CLASS A DIV. 2 CHAMPIONSHIP

7:00 PM – Bowdon vs. Manchester

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12 FLAG DIV. 2 (5A-6A) CHAMPIONSHIP

Class 7A Team Information ................................................... 10-11 Class 6A Team Information ................................................... 12-13 Class 5A Team Information ................................................... 14-15 Class 4A Team Information ................................................... 18-19 Class 3A Team Information ...................................................24-25

11:00 AM – Greenbrier vs. Lithia Springs

Class 2A Team Information ...................................................26-27

CLASS 2A CHAMPIONSHIP

Class A - Division 1 Team Information .................................... 30-31

1:00 PM – Rockmart vs. Pierce County

Class A - Division 2 Team Information ....................................32-33

CLASS 4A CHAMPIONSHIP

Flag Football - Division 3 ........................................................... 35

4:00 PM – Perry vs. Stockbridge

CLASS 6A CHAMPIONSHIP

7:00 PM – Thomas Co. Central vs. Woodward

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13

Flag Football - Division 2 ........................................................... 37 Flag Football - Division 1 ........................................................... 39

VIEWING INFORMATION Order digital copies of all televised games at NFHSNetwork.com. Live Stats by West Georgia Sports Information Services at GHSA.net/football

FLAG DIV. 3 (7A) CHAMPIONSHIP 11:00 AM – Pope vs. Allatoona

CLASS 3A CHAMPIONSHIP

All games will be televised live on Georgia Public Broadcasting, streamed on GPB.org/sports and NFHSNetwork.com/ ghsa. Statewide radio coverage on Georgia News Network and 680 The Fan Family of Networks, 1340 AM & 103.7 FM. On demand video rebroadcast at GPB.org and NFHS Network.

CLASS 5A CHAMPIONSHIP

Photos on cover courtesy of Cecil Copeland.

1:00 PM – Savannah Chr. vs. Cedar Grove 4:00 PM – Coffee vs. Creekside

CLASS 7A CHAMPIONSHIP

7:00 PM – Milton vs. Walton

/OFFICIALGHSA

The 2023 Georgia High School Association Football State Championship Guide is published by Score Media, a division of Score Atlanta, in conjunction with the GHSA. The guide was designed by Laura Grieve, and edited by Craig Sager II, Seth Ellerbee and Graham David. For more information on Score Media, go to Scoreatl.com or call 404-256-1572.

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2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

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2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS WORD FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GHSA

WELCOME GHSA FOOTBALL FANS

elcome to the GHSA Tommy Guillebeau Football Championships presented by Alfa Insurance. This year we are excited to bring you these games from MercedesBenz Stadium! The coaches, players, cheerleaders and band members have put in countless hours leading up to this event. I know you appreciate the work of these young people and their skills that will be on display at this outstanding venue. Special thanks go out to the staff of MBS who have worked hard to ensure that this event will provide an experience for all that will be second to none. The GHSA thanks you for your support

of high school football throughout this year. You are an integral part of high school athletics and your support and appreciation of t hese at hletes help make Georgia high school football the best atmosphere in the nation. Please demonstrate good sportsmanship to all of our teams and spectators. Your positive support is greatly appreciated. The GHSA staff has been working for months to ensure your experience and that of the teams will be one to remember for a lifetime. The staff of MBS has worked diligently to provide the support needed for this event and will assist you in every way possible. We thank all involved for their hard work in making this event a memorable one. This event is made possible through our corporate partners whose ads you

will see throughout this program. This event would not be possible without their help and I encourage you to support them whenever possible. People throughout the state and surrounding states who are unable to attend will be able to view all of the games live through the production by Georgia Public Broadcasting. Their work is outstanding, professional and we appreciate their support of the GHSA and our games. Thank you for your support and enjoy the best high school football you will find anywhere!

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DECEMBER 11-13, 2023

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2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

HISTORIC MATCHUPS SET STAGE FOR THREE-DAY CHAMPIONSHIP MARATHON BY CRAIG SAGER II

ercedes-Benz Stadium will host the GHSA Football State Championships for the first time since 2018 with three must-see days of action on Dec. 1113. The first day will feature a triple header before a four-game lineup on Tuesday and Wednesday to conclude the 2023 season. There are just two defending state champions (Bowdon, Prince Avenue Christian) that made their way back to the finals this season in Georgia’s eight classifications. Additionally, there is just one rematch with Prince Avenue Christian squaring off with Swainsboro in the Class A Division I championship after earning a 52-34 win over the Tigers last year. Four programs have an opportunity to achieve their first-ever championships and Class 4A’s showdown with Stockbridge and Perry will be the only matchup guaranteed to crown a first-ever state champ.

TOP TRENDS The Class 7A championship represents just how competitive the playoffs were across the state as undefeated Walton and Milton meet for the finals. Both teams earned No. 1 seeds, but had to go on the road with the Raiders’ earning a 56-35 win over host Carrollton in the quarterfinals and Milton topping host Grayson 4535 in the semifinals. Now, Georgia’s highest classification will have a finals without a Gwinnett or South Georgia team in the game for the first time since 1985. Milton is 1-1 all-time in previous finals appearances, while Walton is 0-1 after falling in the 2011 finals. Class 6A’s matchup presents an opportunity for Thomas County Central and Woodward Academy to snap lengthy championship droughts. The last time Thomas County Central won state came in 1997 when the Yellow Jackets achieved their fifth crown in a six-year span. Woodward Academy’s two championships came in 1970 and 1980 and this will be the War Eagles’ first finals appearance since its 14-10 victory over Marist in the 1980 championship. Class 5A Coffee (14-0) is one win away from its first-ever title and its defense has allowed just 6.14 points per game this season—the best mark out of all the finalists. The Trojans will take on Creekside and the Seminoles have gone 12-0 within the state this season and have averaged 45.3 ppg offensively, while allowing just 8 | WWW.GHSA.NET

13.25 ppg within the state. Creekside’s first and only state title came in 2013 and the Seminoles will be making their second all-time finals appearance.

STATEMENT WINS Both Stockbridge and Perry will be making their first-ever finals appearances and Perry set a new state record by playing 70 seasons before making its first-ever finals—beating Milton’s previous record of 69 seasons set in 2018. Stockbridge needed 60 seasons to reach its first finals and snapped two-time defending state champion Benedictine’s 24-game win-streak in the semis with a 45-31 win over the Cadets. In Class 3A, Cedar Grove is back in the finals for the sixth time in eight seasons and will take on Savannah Christian, which is looking for its first state title since 2011. Class 2A finalist Pierce County has an opportunity to win its second state championship since 2020 when it won its first and the Bears’ opponent Rockmart sits a win away from achieving its second all-time title and first since the 1950 campaign. The Class A Division I final between Prince Avenue and Swainsboro has historic implications as Prince Avenue quarterback Aaron Philo sits 301 yards shy of Trevor Lawrence’s state record for career passing yards (13,902). Finally, the Class A Division II championship will be the lone rematch within the 2023 season. Manchester opened the season with a 21-20 win over Bowdon and the teams will face off once again with Bowdon seeking a consecutive state title and Manchester aiming for its first crown since 1997. The fourth Flag Football Championship will feature two-time defending state champion Southeast Bulloch against Area 6 champion North Oconee in the Class A-4A matchup. On Tuesday, defending state champion Lithia Springs will take on Greenbrier in the Class 5A-6A matchup. Greenbrier is the highest scoring team in Class 5A-6A and went off for a 40-6 win in the second round before scoring a 31-7 quarterfinal win over McDonough. Finally, the Class 7A game will be between Area 3 rivals Pope and Allatoona. Pope earned the No. 1 seed out of Area 3 and defeated defending state champion Blessed Trinity 7-6 in the semifinals.

DECEMBER 11-13, 2023

WWW.GHSA.NET | 9

2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Class 7A

Milton vs. Walton Wednesday, December 13 | 7:00 PM By Craig Sager II

MILTON EAGLES 12-2, REGION 6, NO. 1 SEED

ilton has stacked a nine-game win-streak following a 3-2 start and swept its region for the sixth-straight season—improving the Eagle’s region win-streak to a statebest 33-straight games. That level of dominance and consistency showcases Milton’s ability to rise to the occasion and the Eagles will be making their third finals appearance in the past three seasons. In the semifinals, Milton quarterback and Miami-commit Luke Nickel completed 31-of-50 passes for 434 yards and four touchdowns. The Eagles’ aerial attack included a pair of 100-yard receivers with C.J. Wiley (10-136-1) and Tristan Payne (8-148-2) having massive performances. In total, Milton racked up 588 yards of offense against a formidable Grayson defense. Milton’s defense has shutout four opponents this season and has allowed just 15.67 ppg. The unit possesses depth and the ability to rotate throughout the game. This has helped Milton tally 87 tackles for loss, 42.5 total sacks and double-digit interceptions and fumble recoveries.

2023 RESULTS COLLINS HILL........................................ 27-13 W WESTERN, FL ..........................................14-10 L ROSWELL.............................................. 34-14 W ALPHARETTA ......................................... 37-12 W NORTH COBB ......................................... 42-27 L SOUTH FORSYTH..................................... 31-0 W FORSYTH CENTRAL.................................. 31-0 W 10 | WWW.GHSA.NET

WEST FORSYTH..................................... 45-14 W DENMARK ..............................................48-0 W LAMBERT.............................................. 37-16 W DULUTH .................................................53-0 W COLLINS HILL........................................ 42-21 W COLQUITT COUNTY ................................ 39-37 W GRAYSON .............................................45-35 W

WALTON RAIDERS 14-0, REGION 5, NO. 1 SEED

alton has returned to the finals for the first time since 2011 and is riding a 14-0 season with a chance to win its first-ever state title. The Raiders have been the last remaining Cobb County program in Georgia’s highest classification for each of the last three seasons and senior quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski has been at the center of that stretch, while taking the offense to new heights each season. This year, Hecklinski has racked up 3,711 passing yards with 48 touchdowns and three interceptions and has more than 9,000 career yards. Makhari Bodiford and Austin Williams have both surpassed 1,000 yards rushing this season and tight end Hunter Teal has scored a team-high 15 touchdown receptions. Defensively, Jordan Bam Bride stars in the secondary and the group is filled with seniors, including UNC-commit Ashton Woods and South Carolina-commit Wendell Gregory. Walton’s 14-0 record includes a 34.14 average margin of victory.

2023 RESULTS GRAYSON ............................................. 49-27 W BROOKWOOD ....................................... 63-15 W POPE...................................................... 67-7 W MARIETTA ...............................................52-8 W NORTH PAULDING................................. 44-24 W NORTH COBB ........................................ 35-27 W KENNESAW MTN .....................................49-0 W

CHEROKEE ..............................................48-7 W OSBORNE ...............................................35-0 W WHEELER.............................................. 42-16 W MOUNTAIN VIEW .....................................66-7 W NORTH GWINNETT ................................ 48-19 W CARROLLTON ........................................56-35 W CAMDEN COUNTY ................................. 41-25 W

DECEMBER 11-13, 2023

MILTON VS. WALTON CLASS 7A SKINNY

The 7A finals, the state’s highest class, for the first time since 1985 (Clarke Central vs. Warner Robins) will feature a final not including a Gwinnett or South Georgia team when Milton—representing Fulton County -- and Walton—representing Cobb County advanced to the 15th game of the season. Milton broke through in 2018 and won its first-ever state title and Walton is still looking for its first after falling short in the 2011 championship. This matchup features two of the top quarterbacks in the state and ACC commits with Walton’s Jeremy Hecklinski (Wake Forest) and Milton’s Luke Nickel (Miami). Walton is 14-6 alltime against Milton but was defeated 52-17 in the most recent meeting that occurred in the 2021 semifinals.

MILTON EAGLES

WALTON RAIDERS

(Milton, GA.) • Red, White & Blue # 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37

Name Debron Gatling Dylan Lewis Marc Essley II Ma'khi Jones CJ Wiley Luke Nickel Faisal Sokoya Jack Lawson Ty Redmond AJ Benton Hayden Tumminia Dylan Warren Tristan Lester Shamar Arnoux Amauri Anderson Caleb Bell Cooper Bradshaw Jacorey Stewart Tristen Payne Billy Weivoda TJ Lester Alex Genone Jordan Carrasquillo Lawson Estes Alex Nover Walker Davis Bryce Baker Graham Coady Champ Hatfield Jeremiah Mellem Nico Cua Will Stewart MJ Krak Walker Arbuthnot Will Bracey Paul Williams

Gr. WR/CB CB/WR CB/WR FS/CB WR/FS QB CB/FS OLB/ILB CB/SS ILB/OLB ILB/OLB QB/QB SS/CB CB RB DE/DL QB OLB WR OLB RB/ILB WR WR/OLB CB/WR K RB/FS WR/SS K WR/FS FS/SS RB/CB RB/ILB ILB/TE QB/LB RB/CB ILB/OLB

Pos. 12 11 12 11 11 11 12 12 11 11 11 12 10 11 11 11 11 12 11 10 11 12 9 10 11 10 11 10 10 12 10 12 10 10 11 11

38 40 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 52 53 54 55 56 60 62 64 65 67 70 74 77 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 90 91 98 99

Noah Weiser Dylan Fox Julian Laud DJ Rumph Blaize Battaglia Jamarcus Edwards Draedyn Embry Michael Phillips James McBride Gavin Lohmann Caleb Ellis Drew Cohen Caleb Bizzell Madden Mones Derek Scott II Finn Jatcko Evan Spangler Garrett Heinecke JP Katzmark Harrison Sutton Wyatt Stewart Jordan Merriweather Ridge Tholen Riley Rushing Nick Liguori Gavin Sorzano Jackson Hindman Jackson Kaul Jesse Smalley Pauly Severin Gavin Fitzgerald Ryan Ghea Grant Haviland Matthew Montz Josh Lowery Christian Hunter Terence Spencer Jr.

Head Coach: Ben Reaves Jr.

(Marietta, GA.) • Red, Silver & Blue K ILB/TE RB/OLB OLB ILB/OLB ILB/OLB DE/TE DE/OLB CB/WR OLB/TE NG/OT DE/OC OG/DE OG/NG OT/DE OT/DE OL OC/OG OC/OG OL OC LG OT OT/OG CB/WR WR/CB SS/WR WR/CB WR/QB WR/FS OLB/WR TE/OLB WR/TE K WR NG/DE NG/DE

Assistant Coaches: Stevie Jackson, David Willingham, Vinny Sylvestri, Rob Williams, Drew Connell

12 11 11 9 9 11 10 12 10 10 11 12 10 10 11 10 11 11 11 9 10 12 11 12 11 10 10 10 10 11 10 11 9 10 10 9 11

# 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47

Name Wendell Gregory Austin Williams Makari Bodiford Cameran Loyd Tyson McCrary Kaeden Gilstrap Ashton Woods Jordan "Bam" Bride Hunter Teal Wyatt Sonderman Mason Crawford Jeremy Hecklinski Drake Luckie Palmer McRaney Tanner O'Brien CJ Jordan Jake Thorner Pranav Chandrashekar Christian Ferrell Tino Appice-Davis Oliver Skeean MJ Burnett Ben Simons Tyson Poole Ethan Stannard Carson Baker Japhet Veasy Malikai Speed Noriega Thompson Sam Strickland Jude Cascone Todd Haley Noah LaVallee Cillian Tischler Hudson Beard Jack Klim Hall Pruet Kieran Smith Garrett Bailey Sam Basulto Mathayo Odhiambo Max McRaney Liam Miller Sammy Wilson Buie Crawford Hogan Hans

Gr. OLB/DL RB RB/LB WR CB QB LB CB/WR TE/LB WR WR QB LB/TE QB P/K QB LB DB/HB RB/DB WR LB DB DB DB DB DB DB DB/WR RB/DB DB TE/DE LB/HB LB WR DB WR/DB LB FS/SS WR DB DB WR WR WR/DB LB DB/WR

Pos. 12 12 12 12 12 11 12 12 12 12 12 12 11 10 12 9 11 12 11 12 11 9 12 12 11 10 10 9 10 10 10 10 10 9 11 10 10 11 10 12 10 10 11 9 11 11

50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 86 87 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97

Hayden Halpaus Tommy Ross Sam Trainor Cooper Bowles Lota Ugokwe Patrick Burris James Harvey Andrew Aston Brody Ford Justin Krueger Sam Nicholson Hudson Pruet Joaquin Koger Gabe Blalock Nicholas Thorner William Lehman John Dunning Lucky Eilola-Bastek Sam Moradi Grant Wheeler Rocco Tenebruso Harrison Duncanson Eddie Defanti Ryan Siegle Matthew Ladner Sam Besselink Ben Costello Daniel Calhoun Luke Blaylock David Rueda Andrew Keiser Asim Alexander Brady Franson Caleb Carlson Ethan Baker Tate Adams Coleman Fleury Chris Neal Dallas Bethune Bryant Gunnels Sebastian Banai William White Alex Rupp Om Patel Jayce Woods Daniel Stricklin

DL DL OL OL DL/OL OL/DL LB LS OL DL/OL OL OL OL OL DL/OL DL/OL OL DL/OL OL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL OL DL/OL OL DL/OL DL/OL OL/DL DL/OL WR WR WR/CB WR WR WR WR K DL K/P K/P K/P K WR OL/DL K

11 11 12 10 12 11 12 12 12 12 10 12 10 11 10 10 11 10 10 9 9 9 12 11 10 10 10 12 9 10 11 10 11 11 10 10 10 10 12 10 11 10 12 10 9 10

Head Coach: Daniel Brunner

Assistant Coaches: Alan Gordon, Tyler Jones, Kevin Horne, Kirbie Bodiford, Tim Ewing

WWW.GHSA.NET | 11

2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Class 6A

Thomas County Central vs. Woodward Tuesday, December 12 | 7:00 PM By Najeh Wilkins PHOTO COURTESY OF WARREN BOND PHOTOGRAPHY

THOMAS CO. CENTRAL YELLOW JACKETS 14-0, REGION 1, NO. 1 SEED

o. 3 Thomas County Central defeated No. 9 Marist on the road in the semifinals 13-7 after a strong defensive performance limiting Marist to its lowest point total of the season while forcing two fumbles during the game. In the victory against Marist, Trey Benton ran for 195 yards and a touchdown. The senior running back has rushed for 1,309 yards and 14 touchdowns this season. The Yellow Jackets have been stout defensively all season producing five shutouts. Their opponents are averaging seven points per game in the playoffs. On their way to the state championship, the Yellow Jackets shut out St. Pius X, and held Jonesboro a season-low six points. They also defeated No. 6 Rome on the road, holding the Wolves to their second lowest scoring total all season. Defensively, the Yellow Jackets are led by Kendarius Reddick who has four interceptions and Cam Brooks who leads the team in sacks as a sophomore.

2023 RESULTS CAIRO ....................................................38-0 W THOMASVILLE .........................................45-7 W BAINBRIDGE ......................................... 45-14 W BROOKS COUNTY ....................................44-7 W GODBY (FL) .......................................... 55-19 W VETERANS...............................................52-0 W TIFT COUNTY ..........................................56-0 W 12 | WWW.GHSA.NET

HOUSTON COUNTY ................................. 27-0 W LEE COUNTY ......................................... 31-24 W NORTHSIDE WARNER ROBINS ................ 31-16 W ST. PIUS X ..............................................49-0 W JONESBORO ...........................................55-6 W ROME ....................................................19-16 W MARIST .................................................. 13-7 W

WOODWARD ACADEMY WAR EAGLES 12-2, REGION 3, NO. 1 SEED

oodward Academy is in the state championship for the first time since 1980 when they won their second state championship in school history. In their playoff run, they have defeated three ranked teams in the playoffs, handing two of them their first loss of the season. They defeated No. 2 Douglas County 24-21 after falling behind 14-0, the War Eagles scored 24 unanswered points in the semifinals. The War Eagles took down top-ranked Gainesville 20-17 scoring the game's final 13 points after falling behind 17-3 and handed the Red Elephants their first loss of the season. Their most impressive came against No. 8 Houston County where they limited the high-powered Bears to only seven points, their second-lowest total of the season. Woodward Academy is led on offense by the dynamic duo of Ben Grice and Josiah Abdullah. They have combined for 1,409 yards and 15 touchdowns. Defensively, Andrew Hines leads the team in tackles (77) and tackles for loss (8).

2023 RESULTS TRINITY CHRISTIAN .................................45- 8W MCCALLIE (TN) .......................................41-21 L MARIST ..................................................17-10 L MORROW ...............................................56-0 W ALCOVY ..................................................42-6 W LOVEJOY................................................. 31-7 W ROCKDALE COUNTY.................................38-0 W

JONESBORO ...........................................29-6 W MUNDY'S MILL .......................................38-8 W FOREST PARK .........................................45-6 W EVANS .................................................. 31-14 W HOUSTON COUNTY ................................. 27-7 W GAINESVILLE......................................... 20-17 W DOUGLAS COUNTY................................ 24-21 W

DECEMBER 11-13, 2023

THOMAS CO. CENT. VS. WOODWARD ACAD. CLASS 6A SKINNY Woodward Academy has three consecutive 11-win seasons. Head coach John Hunt has eight 10-win seasons in his tenure with the War Eagles and this is the furthest the program has been under him. Thomas County Central is seeking its sixth state championship in school history and first since 1997 when it won five championships in six years. The Yellow Jackets are seeking their second undefeated season in school history. This is the second-ever matchup between the two teams and the first in 21 years. They last played in 2002 with Thomas County Central winning 48-14. The Yellow Jackets are led by Sophomore quarterback Jaylen Johnson who has thrown for 1,794 yards and 19 touchdowns. Offensively, Lucas Farrington has led the rushing attack for Woodward Academy with 963 yards and 11 touchdowns.

THOMAS CO. CENTRAL YELLOW JACKETS

WOODWARD ACADEMY WAR EAGLES

(Thomasville, GA.) • Blue & Gold

# 0 1 2 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 9 11 11 12 12 13 14 15 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47

Name Dee Reddick Kris Wilhelm Malachi Thomas Haden Korobeynikov AJ Clark Kentrell Odom Devin Ross Tywon Christopher Jay Jones Tre'Von Pringle Devin Woodson Camron Brooks Jaylen Johnson Ezekial Bogan Jimmy Dawson JB Watkins Abe Smith Kobe Carnage Clayton Hutto Tray Banks Triston Flounoy Jermaine Dennis Hayden Morales Walter Reddick Caleb Anderson Dannell Jester Omari Stephenson Trey Brenton Camden Godwin Rylan McDowell Josh Jones Jayden Rubbo Tyson Johnson DK Smith Jujuan Bowden Jeremiah Brinson Jordan Wynn Takai Donaldson Will Doughty Ahmad Ponder Aacoyah Rawls Levon Griffin Braylen Gunter Evan Martin Onyx Louissaint Avery Rodriguez Jacobi Herring Christian Powell Kingston Stewart Jonathan Diaz Cole Snead Colton Garbett

Gr. S QB TE WR RB/LB DB DB LB WR WR LB DL QB N LB WR WR RB DB WR DL WR K DL LB DB LB RB Y Y C LB DB DB LB RB Y/LB LB LB RB DB LB LB RB LB Joker LB WR LB DL OL TE

Pos. 11 12 12 12 11 9 12 12 11 10 12 10 10 12 12 9 12 9 12 11 10 10 12 12 12 10 10 12 10 12 10 11 9 9 11 12 10 11 10 11 11 10 11 9 9 10 9 10 11 11 12 10

48 49 50 51 51 52 53 54 55 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 91 92 93 95 96 97 98 99

Cam Jones Caiden Lundy Turner Barrett Caleb Davis Keith Reddick Nate Brinson Isaiah Andrews Deontavis Cooper Randel Patterson Caden Adams Jakerion Davis Owen Petrey Kentrell Sewell Logan Bell Artem Korchagin Travis McHellon Bishop Cason CJ Humphries Jessie Tew Xykhare Hayes Tommy Hires David Hayes James Herring Robert Wilson Owen Braswell Daniel Overman Ty Brown Eli Majors Isaac Andrews Lavar Madison Alex Ward Colby Sowell Alex Craigmiles Demaurier' Diggs Wyatt Petrey Will Curles Calen Wallace Jay Bradley Rodney Dunbar Drew Reneau Paracca Jackson Zamari Wilson Carson Creech Brogan Bozeman Bobby Floyd Ashton Baker Ossie Dennis Juan Torres JaKerious DeBruce Drew Jones Garrett Morrell ZyJordan Wynn

Head Coach: Justin Rogers

Assistant Coaches: Joe Thornton, Cam Clark, Dave Windon, Seth Boyet, Jimmy Dudley

OL S OL OL OL LB LB/OL OL OL LB OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL DL/OL DL OL OL OL OL WR TE WR WR WR K WR WR TE WR J DL RB DB DL K OL DB

(College Park, GA.) • Red & White

12 11 9 10 9 10 9 10 10 10 9 12 10 12 10 11 9 10 9 10 12 10 12 10 12 9 12 9 9 11 12 9 12 11 12 9 9 9 10 11 9 11 11 10 9 10 11 9 9 10 12 9

Name

Gr.

Pos.

Avery Hill

WR/DB

0/34

London Merritt

TE/DE

Princeton Woods

RB/LB

CJ Heard

RB/DB

Whit Tonneson

FB/LB

Lucas Farrington

Christian Reed

WR/DB

RJ Harrison

WR/CB

Bryce Woods

WR/DB

Jerome Bettis

WR/FS

Elijah Lyles

WR/DB

Caden Morris Jr

FB/LB

Whit Schoeffler

TE/DE

Tyree Myrick

RB/DB

Aiden Hughes

TE/DE

Griffin Marshall

Prince Dey

RB/LB

Kingsley Royal

WR/DB

Rocco Xerogeanes

TE/LB

Charles Maxell

QB/DB

Jack Wilson

TE/DE

Andrew Hines III

TE/LB

Afton Rowles

K/P

Roman Stamps

WR/CB

Myles Hakeem

OL/DE

Ben Grice

WR/CB

Langston Fields

OL/DL

Josiah Abdullah

WR/CB

Rylan Holder

OL/DL

Ace Albritton

WR/CB

Nick McCarthy

OL/DE

Bryan Ackerman

OL/DL

Ryan Harrigan

QB/DB

Landon Walker

Johnny Okolo

OL/DL

Zaydn Young

WR/DB

Jaylen Johnson

OL/DL

Jeffrey Woodson

WR/P

Bradley Smith

OL/DL

Tyshaun Baldwin

RB/SAF

William Smith-Waddell

OL/DL

J. Ellis Hood

WR/CB

Jacob Lemene

OL/DL

Allan Pickens

TE/LB

Emeran Mohammed

OL/DL

Colin Houston

WR/CB

Matthew Anderson

OL/DL

Christian Bell

FB/DL

Josh Battle

OL/DL

Richard Wofford

TE/LB

Cahron Houston

OL/DL

Daniel Jackson

RB/LB

Seann Ingram

TE/DE

Joshua Isom

RB/LB

Jonah Blum

K/P

Solomon Martin

RB/DB

Jackson McCoy

TE/LB

Emory Hill

FB/LB

Beckett Mclary

WR/DB

Azavier Smith

WR/DB

Yurem Juarez

K/P

Amari Irvin

RB/LB

Hudson Hanges

K/P

Head Coach: John Hunt

Assistant Coaches: Ryan Davis, Bill McGarrah, Darin Schneider, Mario Allen

WWW.GHSA.NET | 13

2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Class 5A

Coffee vs. Creekside Wednesday, December 13 | 4:00 PM By Najeh Wilkins PHOTO COURTESY OF BE THE RAM MEDIA

COFFEE TROJANS 14-0, REGION 1, NO. 1 SEED

enior running back Fred Brown has emerged as one of the best in the state for the Trojans. In a 33-18 victory against Cartersville, Brown rushed for 206 yards and two touchdowns to ensure a trip to the finals. He has 2,305 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns this season. Brown’s rushing yards rank third best in the Peach State. In their run to the championship, The Trojans have two shutouts in the playoffs against Chamblee (56-0) and Cass (30-0) and are led on the defense by Elgie Paulk, who has a team-high 11 sacks. Coffee has had a dominant run in the postseason and has proved they have a high-scoring offense. The Trojans have scored 30 points in every game this postseason, and Coffee has their highest-scoring season in program history with 552 points, breaking the record set in 2022. Coffee is in its second final in seven years.

2023 RESULTS TIFT COUNTY ........................................ 38-13 W BAINBRIDGE ......................................... 23-14 W BOLLES (FL) ........................................... 17-9 W SALEM....................................................58-0 W RICHMOND HILL ..................................... 21-0 W BRADWELL INSTITUTE..............................62-6 W STATESBORO........................................... 51-0 W 14 | WWW.GHSA.NET

JENKINS .................................................34-0 W GREENBRIER...........................................56-7 W WARE COUNTY ........................................28-5 W CHAMBLEE..............................................56-0 W JONES COUNTY ..................................... 45-14 W CASS ......................................................30-0 W CARTERSVILLE....................................... 33-18 W

CREEKSIDE SEMINOLES 13-1, REGION 5, NO. 1 SEED

reekside has been a dominant offense in 2023. The Seminoles are averaging 44 points per game in their playoff run, and its offense has eclipsed 40 points in seven games this season. Creekside has a powerful one-two punch. The Seminoles are averaging 182 yards per game in the passing game and 270 yards on the ground. Creekside is led by Travis Terrell and Roderick McCrary who have combined for 2,933 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns. They are one of the best rushing duos in the state. Senior quarterback Vinson Berry is also having a strong season throwing for 2,412 yards and 39 touchdowns in the best season of his career. In a semifinal win against Jefferson, Berry threw for 178 yards and two touchdowns. In their run for the championship, Creekside has tied their second-most wins in school history with 13 and has beaten Flowery Branch, Dalton, Warner Robins, and Jefferson.

2023 RESULTS KENNESAW MOUNTAIN..........................35-23 W ST. PETERS PREP (NJ) ........................... 34-15 W MATER DEI (CA)....................................... 62-0 L LITHIA SPRINGS ......................................49-6 W CHAPEL HILL......................................... 49-14 W MAYS ................................................... 21-20 W MAYNARD JACKSON ................................66-6 W

VILLA RICA ........................................... 35-17 W TRI-CITIES ...............................................64-6 W BANNEKER .............................................49-6 W FLOWERY BRANCH ..................................63-6 W DALTON................................................ 49-24 W WARNER ROBINS .................................. 35-14 W JEFFERSON ........................................... 28-17 W

DECEMBER 11-13, 2023

COFFEE VS. CREEKSIDE CLASS 5A SKINNY

Coffee and Creekside will meet for just the second time ever and first since 2021 when Creekside won 28-18 in the first-round matchup. The Seminoles and Trojans both are led by run-dominant offenses led by senior tailbacks Fred Brown and Roderick McCrary. Coffee is seeking its first undefeated season and first state championship in program history. The Trojans have made the playoffs in ten consecutive seasons. Head coach Mike Coe has led Coffee to the finals in just his second season at the helm and has won four championships in his career. Creekside head coach Maurice Dixon hit 50 career wins against Villa Rica earlier this season and has helped lead the Seminoles to the finals for the first time since 2013. The Seminoles are 1-0 in state championships, and the Trojans are 0-1.

CREEKSIDE SEMINOLES

COFFEE TROJANS

(Fairburn, GA.) • Burgundy & Gold

(Douglas, GA.) • Maroon & White # 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 28 29 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 41

Name Fred Brown Pat McCall Tyriq Edwards Bray Coe Javion Romer Jayden Hancock Chris Reed Zean Preston Maurice Hansley Isaiah Johnson James Jarrard Mykevious Smith Larenzo Harvey Jatavious Williams Trey Ross Jordan Phillips Ricquwan Jefferson Travis Adams Jaquavious Simpkins Anthony Paulk Aiden Eldridge Brady Shook Range Robinson Jyarius Carter Tyrese Hansley Elgie Paulk K.J. DeBruce K.D. Moore Jahnias Wilcox Marterrius Hall K.J. Smith Iverson Gifford Tony Holmes Marcus Gibson Trey Smith Micale Smith Markevious Hall Steve Walker

Gr. RB WR DB WR DB DB LB TE QB DB WR LB DL LB QB DB DB DB DB DB QB TE TE LB RB DL RB DB WR DB DB DL DL DB DB P TE WR

Pos. 12 12 12 11 10 11 11 11 12 11 11 11 12 12 10 11 10 11 12 12 9 12 12 11 11 12 10 12 11 12 11 11 11 10 9 12 11 11

42 43 44 45 47 48 49 51 52 53 54 55 56 58 59 64 65 66 70 72 73 75 76 77 78 79 81 82 83 84 85 86 88 90 91 92 94 96 99

Kelvin Wooten Jakobe Goolsby Wesley Hood Layton Parker Kenyon Livingston D'shun Poke Clayton Adkins Gabe Rewis Tico Smith Austin Ates Braydon Vester Jaydon Vester Wyatt Mercer Glentavious Turner Jaylon Simpkins Jeremiah Miller Cortez Walker Herm Sutton Xavier Livingston Kadarius Walker Elisha Huelett Kevin Gilliard Jerzabeon Grant Kyler Smith Jadarius Hall Brody Grantham Timothy(TJ) Burch Jr. Zayvion Brand Jonah Saylor Isaiah Walker Daniel Gowen Dickson Pettifrere Terrell Mitchell Gabe Marquez Montana McGinty Aiden Gonzales Jaylon Williams Jamonta Williams Will Hobbs

Head Coach: Mike Coe

LB RB QB TE DB DB TE OL OL OL OL OL/LS DL OL OL DL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL WR WR K WR WR WR WR LB DL K DL DL DL

Assistant Coaches: Mike Granato, Richard Vester, Beau Johnson, Cam Morgan, Cole Minshew

10 10 10 11 10 12 12 12 11 10 10 11 11 12 11 10 10 10 11 11 10 10 12 11 10 10 10 10 11 11 12 10 12 11 10 11 10 11 12

Name

Gr.

Pos.

Tavaree Terell

Roderick McCrary

ATH

Ezequiel Sheets

Ricky McCrary

Antrell Mcleoud

Dylan Vickerson

Delano Jones

Carter Hick

Cassius Burch

Travis Terrell

ATH

Daniel Holt

Shumond Johnson

Tighe Williams

Vinson Berry

Kristian Rowell

Fenix Harper

Jayvon Perry

Eric Paul

DJ Milfort

Shane Kelly

Kaleb Noel

Zarion Jones

Brian Williams

Hayden Dixon

Michai Boireau

ATH

Eli Ray

Mychael Reynolds

Cedric Kelly

ATH

Caleb Holmes

Corey Blair

ATH

Aqueel Glass

Major Levell

Devin Harris

Damien Henderson

ATH

Dwayne Gary

Anthony Hill

ATH

Sean Williams

Tyree Colzie

Ayden Alexander

Gary Walker

Jeremiah Murphy

Kevon Gray

Tavrion Strickland

Cam McCrary

Braylen Gilbert

ATH

Carter Jameson

Clifford Ayiih

Dillion Blakey

Jordan Cartney

Head Coach: Maurice Dixon

Assistant Coaches: Rance McCrary, Trent Francis, Anthony Hill, Mike Westmoreland, Sheldon Peters

WWW.GHSA.NET | 15

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DECEMBER 11-13, 2023

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2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Class 4A

Perry vs. Stockbridge Tuesday, December 12 | 4:00 PM By Craig Sager II

PERRY PANTHERS 12-2, REGION 2, NO. 2 SEED

erry is in the midst of the most successful stretch in the program’s 70-year history and over the last four seasons has achieved three of its four all-time region titles and all three of its double-digit win seasons. This year, Perry was denied a fourth-straight region title after a tough loss to Spalding, but the Panthers were without starting quarterback Colter Ginn in that game. Once healthy, Perry was the only No. 2 seed that advanced to the quarterfinals and topped Starr’s Mill 28-24 on the road in the semis to reach the finals for the first time in school history. Perry took a 28-24 lead with 8:46 to play with a 61-yard touchdown pass from Ginn to Kory Pettigrew and Tavares Simmons tackled Starr’s Mill just five yards from the endzone with four minutes to play to force a turnover on downs set up the victory. Running back Ahmad Gordon has 31 rushing touchdowns and receiver Dakarai Anderson has a team-high 1,113 receiving yards.

2023 RESULTS HOUSTON CO......................................... 42-35 L JONES CO. ............................................ 54-21 W VETERANS............................................. 49-41 W PEACH CO. ............................................ 42-21 W HOWARD ................................................ 41-0 W WESTSIDE-AUG. .................................... 55-14 W GRIFFIN.................................................. 41-7 W 18 | WWW.GHSA.NET

BALDWIN.............................................. 33-16 W SPALDING.............................................. 31-22 L WEST LAURENS.......................................55-7 W BURKE CO. ........................................... 35-14 W BAINBRIDGE .............................................7-3 W STEPHENSON ........................................34-20 W STARR’S MILL ....................................... 28-24 W

STOCKBRIDGE TIGERS 12-2, REGION 5, NO. 1 SEED

tockbridge picked up its 12th-straight victory in the semifinals and served two-time defending state champion Benedictine its first loss within Class 4A since the 2020 semifinals. The Tigers dropped their first two games of the season to Class 6A Douglas County and Class 7A Colquitt County and have posted a 35.83 average margin of victory in the 12 games since with a 46.3 ppg average offensively and a defense that has allowed just 10.4 ppg. The Tigers are led by alum and former assistant Thomas Clark—who is in his third season at the helm and have reached the finals for the first time in school history. Running back Jayden “Duke Scott” ran in three touchdowns (90, 60 and 59 yards) to fuel their 45-31 win over Benedictine in the semifinals and he has racked up 2,357 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns to fuel a ground game that is averaging 302.6 yards per game.

2023 RESULTS DOUGLAS CO. ........................................ 38-28 L COLQUITT CO. ........................................ 47-27 L DOUGHERTY ...........................................54-0 W LUELLA...................................................44-8 W HAMPTON ............................................ 41-20 W MT. ZION ................................................69-0 W LOVETT ...................................................48-0 W

WOODLAND............................................49-0 W PACE ACADEMY ....................................... 31-7 W MCDONOUGH ....................................... 63-21 W NORTH HALL...........................................48-0 W WESTMINSTER ...................................... 28-24 W SPALDING............................................. 35-14 W BENEDICTINE ........................................ 45-31 W

DECEMBER 11-13, 2023

PERRY VS. STOCKBRIDGE CLASS 4A SKINNY

Stockbridge and Perry set up the only championship matchup this season that will feature two first-time finalists, but these are programs that have been knocking on the door in recent seasons with multiple region titles and major playoff victories. This year, Perry defeated three ranked opponents during its playoff run, while Stockbridge took out No. 4 Spalding and No. 1 ranked Benedictine. Additionally, this will also be the first-ever meeting between the Tigers and Panthers and a historic championship will be at stake for both programs. Stockbridge’s Jayden “Duke” Scott (39) and Perry’s Ahmad Gordon (31) have combined for 70 touchdowns this season at the running back position and headline this battle as two of the state’s most prolific backs.

PERRY PANTHERS

STOCKBRIDGE TIGERS

(Perry, GA.) • Maroon & Gold # 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 28 29 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Name Ahmad Gordon Dakarai Anderson Rodarius Lewis Elijah Joseph Devon Smoot Trejean Day Khalid Miller Maurice Hayes Jerrel Pinckney Teon White Colter Ginn Kory Pettigrew Kiel Sparks Reid Ginn Cullen McDaniel Tavares Simmons Jr. Colby Dixon JhaMard Cobb Damajah Banks Donovan Funsch Jordan Donald Jalen Hall Janaris Reeves Corrion Daniels Jackson Arnette Colin Anderson Zavion Simmons Bryson Register Jamarien Green Demetrius Davis Jaiden Coleman Quentin Crane Gavyn Gates Kyle Brown Elex Brown Dalis Scott Chance Joseph Trishaun Mckenzie Brian Ellington Gage Norton Tobias Williams Tyler Jones Gabriel Letchworth Ashlon Ashley Amare Conner Nylan Mack Nino Mountin Kody Mefford Brady Preston Darion Jones Gesha'nn Heard

Gr. RB/DB WR/DB WR/DB DB DB DB WR DB LB DB/RB QB WR/DB WR/DB QB QB DB TE QB DB TE LB WR/LB LB RB/DB LB/RB RB/DB DB QB DB/WR DB DB DB/WR DL LB/TE DL DL/TE DB DB DL DL DL DL/P DB DL LB LB DB LB DB DL LB

Pos. 11 12 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 12 12 11 11 10 11 12 12 9 12 12 11 11 10 10 9 10 10 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 12 11 10 11 12 10 10 10 10 11 10 12 11 11 10 10 12

51 52 53 54 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

Marquez Reed Jr Kadeyn Clark Jamari Haynes Kane Kimbrough Tyler Hodge Javari Royal Xavier Williams Chartavion Thomas Xavier Gary Jason Bryant Quentin Askin Leonardo Almada Chandler Mathews Davis Smith Jamarian Green CJ Lane Isaiah Cooper Harrison Cooper Dawson Knight Conner Jenkins Jukorin Thomas Isaiah Vance Logan Reynolds Jack Rafferty Stephen Gore Jr. Caden Kinchen Jake Lane Ethan Cox Markel Kennebrew Jacob Greer Justin McDonald Jacob Harper Ty Stephens Anton Overton Isaiah Bannister Andrew Battle Carson Camp Castor Engelbach Hayden Shore Darrin Rutledge Jr Nicholas Snyder Trevor Hansen Anteros SIms Noah Clark Cashious Williams Jamorion Davis Dewayne Johnson Chayden Barber Jackson Thompson Zack Peacock Trontavious Brown

Head Coach: Kevin Smith

(Stockbridge, GA.) • Green, Orange & White DL OL OL DL DL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL DL DL OL DL DL OL OL OL OL OL DL OL OL DL OL DL OL/DL OL DL TE DB WR/DB WR DB/WR K TE/LB TE WR WR DL DL DL DL DL DL DL TE K DL

11 11 12 10 10 12 10 12 11 10 12 12 10 11 12 11 10 10 10 10 11 12 12 10 11 10 10 11 10 11 11 10 10 10 10 10 9 10 10 11 11 11 10 10 12 11 11 11 10 10 12

Assistant Coaches: Eric DeVoursney, Charles Anthony, Cody Mahler, Charles Brunelle, Felton Williams, Kevin Smith, Trent Johnson

Name

Gr.

Pos.

Cadyen Bridges

MaLik Caswell

Zyaire Patrick

Jayden Howard

Bryce Clark

Jordan Mack

Ethen Crumbsy

Jayden Scott

Akintunde Young

Chase Taylor

Keaton Vanhorn

Jeremy Woods

Jakevion Beaty

Kamren Reese

Bryson Putnam

Adam Prince

Trammell Pree

Cobey Thompkins

Kaleb Bussey

Ryan Johnson

Mehki Webb

Kevin Conix

Donovan Brown

Chris Noble

Joshua Davidson

Travieon Davis

Brandon Melson

Joshua Scott

Amir Fernandez

Marcus Torrence

Luis Diaz

Terrance Pennamon

Malachi Langston

Amari Dawkins

Cameron Bivins

12 10

Timothy Wright

Kaleb Reese

Kaleb Massey

Jason Heath Jr.

Mike Simms

Yahdon Yisra'EL

Mekhi Ramsey

Cavante Holland

Jayden Glover

Cedric Irvin

Donte Grant Jr

Austin Rudd

Mylon Lee

Trayvon Attwell

Yusuf Haqq

Devin Mitchell

Tyler Jackson

Xavier Spikes

Travon Etheridge

Amare Grayson

Jordan Wilson

Jermoine McCrary

Jared Anthony

Chaz Huffman

Jeffrey Smoot III

Eric McBride

Jaden Torres

Tyler Tucker

David Castillo

Omar Lopez III

Jayden Woods

Dylan Manuel

Head Coach: Thomas Clark

Assistant Coaches: Bryan Bailey, David Hill, Cory Chester, Robert Brown, Marquez Martin, Traven Hardnett

WWW.GHSA.NET | 19

PAST STATE CHAMPIONS

2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS YEAR 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

AAAAA Parkview Parkview Parkview Camden Co. Lowndes Lowndes TIE-P’tree Ridge/Roswell Lowndes Camden County Camden County Brookwood Grayson

AAAA TIE-Griffin/Valdosta Clarke Central Lowndes Warner Robins Valdosta Tift County Valdosta Clarke Central Valdosta Morrow Warner Robins Valdosta Valdosta LaGrange Valdosta Dunwoody Colquitt Co. SW DeKalb Brookwood Parkview Valdosta Lowndes Shaw Statesboro Thomson Marist Warner Robins Statesboro Northside WR Northside WR Tucker Sandy Creek Chattahoochee Tucker

AAA Richmond Acad. Northside, Atl. LaGrange Albany Valdosta Valdosta Valdosta Avondale Glynn Academy Valdosta Valdosta Marietta Valdosta TIE-Athens/Valdosta Lakeside Valdosta Lakeside Thomasville Thomasville Central, Macon Warner Robins Clarke Central Westminster Redan Woodward Acad. Waycross Bainbridge Mitchell-Baker Thomson Thomson Villa Rica Worth County Thomasville Marist Cairo TIE-Kendrick/Lakeside, DeKalb Thomas Co. Cntrl. Thomas Co. Cntrl. Thomas Co. Cntrl. Josey Thomas Co. Cntrl. Thomas Co. Cntrl. Dougherty Oconee County Swainsboro LaGrange Screven County LaGrange LaGrange Peach County Peach County Carver, Columbus Cairo Peach County Sandy Creek Burke County

AA Lanier Lanier Brown Decatur Richmond Acad. Murphy Grady Rossville TIE-Rossville/LaGrange Valdosta Valdosta TIE-Avondale/Thomasville Wayne County Waycross Waycross Rossville Cedartown Douglas County West Rome North Fulton Dalton St. Pius X North Springs Woodward Acad. Westminster Southwest DeKalb Southwest Atlanta Americus Americus Avondale Waycross East Rome Model Mary Persons Commerce West Rome West Rome West Rome West Rome Central, Carrollton Central, Carrollton R.E. Lee Mitchell-Baker Pepperell Cartersville Mitchell-Baker Greene-Taliaferro Washington County Elbert County Washington Co. Washington Co. Carrollton Cartersville Americus Americus Buford Buford Charlton County Charlton County TIE-Charlton Co./Dublin Buford Buford Buford Buford Calhoun

A Fitzgerald Decatur Rockmart Valdosta Valdosta Valdosta Jesup Athens TIE-Carrollton/Statesboro Statesboro Stephens County Dublin Dublin Carrollton Americus Dublin Carrollton Americus Statesboro Thomson Thomson Coosa Roswell Carrollton Carrollton Mt. de Sales Carrollton Irwin County Turner County East Rome Buford Johnson County Greenville Douglass, Montezuma Palmetto Palmetto Greenville Lincoln County Lincoln County Lincoln County Clinch County Lincoln County Lincoln County Clinch County Bowdon Lincoln County Brooks County Lincoln County Macon County Manchester Darlington Charlton County Commerce Buford Clinch County Hawkinsville TIE-Hawkinsville/Clinch Co. Lincoln County Lincoln County Emanuel Co. Inst. Wesleyan Wilcox County Clinch County Savannah Christian

B West Point Adel West Point Cordele Loganville Model Model Morgan County Morgan County Trion Morgan County Morgan County Washington-Wilkes Fort Valley Morgan County Washington-Wilkes Blakely Bradwell Institute Washington-Wilkes Washington-Wilkes Roswell Vidalia Lovett Bowdon Southeast Bulloch Southeast Bulloch Trion Lyons Lincoln County Lincoln County -

C Fort Valley Quitman Quitman Forest Park Calhoun Hawkinsville Hawkinsville Monticello Monticello Waynesboro West Point Hawkinsville Lincolnton Coosa Lincolnton Lincolnton Davis Warren County Warren County Putnam County Warren County Sav. Co. Day Mt. de Sales Mt. de Sales -

YEAR 2012 2013 2014 2015

AAAAAA Norcross Norcross Colquitt County Colquitt County

AAAAA Gainesville Creekside Northside-Warner Robins Allatoona

AAAA Sandy Creek Griffin Buford Cartersville

AAA Buford Buford Calhoun Westminster

AA Jefferson Lovett Benedictine Pace Academy

A-Public Emanuel Co. Institute Marion County Hawkinsville Clinch County

A-Private ELCA Aquinas Mt. Paran ELCA

YEAR 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

AAAAAAA Grayson North Gwinnett Milton Marietta Grayson Collins Hill

YEAR AAAAAAA 20 | WWW.GHSA.NET 2022 Mill Creek

AAAAAA Valdosta Lee County Lee County Harrison Buford Buford

AAAAA Rome Rome Bainbridge Buford Warner Robins Warner Robins

AAAA Cartersville Blessed Trinity Blessed Trinity Blessed Trinity Marist Benedictine

AAA Cedar Grove Calhoun Cedar Grove Cedar Grove Pierce County Ceder Grove

AA Benedictine Hapeville Charter Heard County Dublin Callaway Fitzgerald

A-Public Macon County Clinch County Clinch County Irwin County Irwin County Brooks County

A-Private ELCA ELCA ELCA ELCA Prince Avenue Trinity Christian

AAAAAA Hughes

AAAAA Ware County

AAAA Benedictine

AAA Sandy Creek

AA Thomson

A-DIV 1 Prince Avenue

A-DIV 2 Bowdon

DECEMBER 11-13, 2023

CAMPUS AND PARKING MAP

YELLOW LOT Marshalling Yard

1,275

Yellow Lot

1,202

Blue Lot

713

Red Deck

2,041

Silver Deck

603

Orange Deck

525

Green Deck

351

BLUE LOT

NO RT HS ID E

MAGN OLIA ST.

DR .N W

Signia by Hilton Atlanta (Coming Soon)

GREEN DECK

GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER

COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

ANDRE W YOU NG INT ’L. BLVD .

BACKYARD

ORANGE DECK RED DECK

STADIUM

IVAN AL BLVD. N LEN JR. W

GEORGIA AQUARIUM

Gold Deck (Under Hotel Construction)

RHO DES S T.

CENTER FOR CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS

JOSEPH E . BOONE BLVD. NW

STATE FARM ARENA

CENTENNIAL OLYMPIC PARK

JOHN P ORTMA N BLVD .

CNN CENTER

DR . SW

PLAZA

MITC HELL ST. SW

BAKER ST . NW

SOUTHERN COMPANY AMPHITHEATER

. K DR R A P C LYMPI IAL O N N INTERNATIONAL TE CEN

SILVER DECK

WORLD OF

. ST N TO AL W T. AS TT RIE MA

Number of Spaces

TED TU RN ER

enter

MARSHALLING YARD

K. .L. M

WWW.GHSA.NET | 21

S R. .D JR

2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

THE STORY TELLER OF CHAMPIONS UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA 2021 COLLEGE FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

SCOTT JERNIGAN Leesburg, GA scott.jernigan@jostens.com

PETE WILSON / M ATT HUGHES Dalton, GA matt.hughes@jostens.com

M ARK PE AY Metro Atlanta, GA mark.peay@jostens.com

JASON WILEY Augusta, GA jason.wiley@jostens.com

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2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Class 3A

Savannah Christian vs. Cedar Grove Wednesday, December 13 | 1:00 PM By Seth Ellerbee

SAVANNAH CHRISTIAN RAIDERS 12-2, REGION 3, NO. 2 SEED

he Raiders won seven of their eight championships from 1975 to 1984 under coaches Bubba Attwood (5) and Doyle Kelley (2), including three consecutive from 19771979. Donald Chumley coached the Raiders to victory in the Class A title in 2011. Since that championship 12 seasons ago, the Raiders lost in the semifinals in 2018 – in head coach Baker Woodward’s first season – and advanced to the quarterfinals several times. Savannah Christian sophomore quarterback Blaise Thomas is 109-of-164 passing for 1,897 yards and 14 touchdowns and has run for four touchdowns. Junior running backs Zo Smalls and Kenry Wall are formidable. Smalls has 245 carries for 1,808 yards and 30 touchdowns; Wall has 99 carries for 1,036 yards and 15 touchdowns. Senior David Bucey leads receivers with 52 receptions for 769 yards and six touchdowns while Wall has 19 receptions for 500 yards and five touchdowns. Logan Brooking, Jamari McIvory, Smalls and Carson Taylor combine for seven touchdown receptions.

2023 RESULTS HILTON HEAD CHRISTIAN (SC) .................49-0 W ISLANDS............................................... 56-14 W MARIST ................................................... 21-7 L SAVANNAH COUNTRY DAY .......................35-0 W CALVARY DAY......................................... 42-21 L LONG COUNTY ......................................42-32 W JOHNSON-SAVANNAH ..............................42-6 W 24 | WWW.GHSA.NET

BEACH ....................................................55-6 W GROVES..................................................56-0 W LIBERTY COUNTY .................................. 63-21 W PEACH COUNTY.....................................48-46 W MORGAN COUNTY ................................. 33-10 W LUMPKIN COUNTY ................................ 42-21 W CARVER-COLUMBUS .............................. 51-26 W

CEDAR GROVE SAINTS 9-5, REGION 5, NO. 1 SEED

he Saints are making their third consecutive championship appearance and have won four state championships since the first in 2016. Cedar Grove lost to Sandy Creek in last season’s title game. The Saints made the 1976 Class A semifinals under head coach Clint Flanagan, but the team enjoyed little playoff success after that. In 1991, Harry Newberry coached the Saints to the program’s first finals appearance, which was bracketed by first-round exits in 1990 and 1992. Cedar Grove did not make the playoffs from 1999 to 2010. Jimmy Smith became the coach at Cedar Grove in 2013 and led the team to the second round in each of his first two seasons before advancing to the semifinals in 2015. Smith led the team to its first title in 2016, when the Saints Greater Atlanta Christian 30-19 in the championship. Quarterback EJ Colson has been critical for Cedar Grove’s success and against top-ranked Calvary Day a key run on third-and-one helped ensure the 49-42 victory.

2023 RESULTS DUTCHTOWN ........................................34-33 W MONARCH (FL) ...................................... 50-42 L WESTLAKE ..............................................46-41 L COLLINS HILL........................................ 37-26 W MILL CREEK ........................................... 56-35 L COLQUITT COUNTY ................................. 50-42 L CARVER (AL).............................................13-9 L

DOUGLASS ............................................. 41-0 W SANDY CREEK ......................................... 31-7 W CARVER-ATLANTA .................................. 24-14 W HEBRON CHRISTIAN .............................. 30-27 W BREMEN ............................................... 49-14 W MARY PERSONS .................................... 28-14 W CALVARY DAY........................................49-42 W

DECEMBER 11-13, 2023

SAVANNAH CHRISTIAN VS. CEDAR GROVE CLASS 3A SKINNY State championship prowess highlights the 3A title game with Savannah Christian and Cedar Grove combining for 12 championships. Savannah Christian won seven of its titles from 1975 to 1984 under coaches Bubba Attwood (5) and Doyle Kelley (2) including three-straight from 1977-1979 to go with the Class A title in 2011 under head coach Donald Chumley. Cedar Grove’s success has come in the past decade. The Saints have been playing football since 1972 and won the program’s first title in 2016 under head coach Jimmy Smith. In 2018, Smith led Cedar Grove to another championship before leaving to take a job at Georgia State. First-year coach Miguel Patrick defended the title in 2019 and in 2021, John Adams won the championship in his first year at the helm.

SAVANNAH CHRISTIAN RAIDERS

CEDAR GROVE SAINTS

(Savannah, GA.) • Red & White

Name

Gr.

Pos.

Cardin Patrick

FB/LB

(Ellenwood, GA.) • Navy Blue & Columbia Blue 10

Name

Gr.

Pos.

LeMarcus Parks

Boden Walker

Shannon Collier

Elliott Colson

Russell Alex Brock

Devin Carter

WR/DB

Gavin Giles

Anthony Booker

ATH

Kingsley Dudley

Jaden Miles

RB/LB

John Gross

FB/LB

Logan Brooking

DE/TE

Ian Berry

WR/DB

Blaise Thomas

Landon Tyson

FB/LB

Zo Smalls

RB/LB

Christian Beard

OL/DL

Andrew Leslie

Xselynce Keith-Auston

Noah Stone

WR/DB

Kaiden Hambrick

ATH

Neive McNally

Lakhi Roland

Malachi Miller

ATH

Rayquan Thompson

James Summerlin

Jaidyn Owens

50/77

Jaylen Slaughter

Chase Kerns

DL/OL

Javon Beckford

DL/OL

Andre Calhoun

DL/OL

Kyle Mosley

DL/OL

Collin Davis

56/65

Cameron Foley

DL/OL

Earnest Rankins

OL/DL

Teshawn Alston

Dexttre Mincey

Michael Everett

Alphonson Dreher

Shannon Arrington

OL/DL

Jordan Thornton

2023

Abdul Hawkins

OL/DL

Jamari McIvory

WR/$

Cam Yeldell

QB/$

Tyler Penrose

RB/LB

David Bucey

WR/LB

Stuart Barnes

DB/WR

Kenry Wall

SB/C

Cain Tomlin

WR/DB

Brady Watson

LB/TE

Christian Johns

QB/K

Athen Hudspeth

SB/DB

Weston Hughes

WR/DB

Charlie Yannett

WR/DB

Luke Gunn

OL/DL

Chase Goodman

OL/DL

Isaiah Redmond

OL/DL

Tony Forney

Landon Brown

OL/DL

Javari Ramsey

Reid Penrose

OL/DL

Wesley Brown

D’Marcus Clements

DB/WR

Zsewaun Smith

ATH

Austin Myers

OL/DL

King Long

OL/DL

Jeremiah Stallworth

Jakori Kareem

16/20

Jordan Christie

Lemacio Martin

Tyson Gross

OL/DL

Noah Lewis

OL/DL

Mills Gross

OL/DL

King Parrom

Caleb Barnes

OL/DL

Joseph Slaughter

Jordan Dillon

OL/DL

Nicholas Hill

J’Corey Cox

Keith Bass

DeSean Hendrix

Jurrell Howell Jr.

OL/DL

Kenneth Dyches

OL/DL

LaDamion Guyton

DE/TE

Ethan Byrd

Brody Buttrey

WR/DB

Gary Scott

WR/DB

Davian Melton

Andrew Goodman

WR/DB

Conner Sparta

DE/TE

Rory Martell

WR/DB

Grayson Turner

Quentavious Price

OL/DL

Jabborie Bowe

Jalen Wright

TE/DL

Ma’Khi Watson

Dominick Reynolds

Tyler Lawrence

OL/DL

Marquis Cohen

RJ Daniels

Corice Spears

Javon Braden

William Bucey

OL/DL

WR/LB

Nash Johnson

Eli Harris

DE/TE

Samarias Turner

Tristen Henry

Jaylen Thomas

Taharaqa Scarborough

Ryan Worrell

Deon Burns

Jasiah Johnson

Braylon Gilstrap

Waylon Wooten

Tommy Vinson

WR/DE

Jake Hendrix

WR/S

Carson Taylor

SB/C

Joey Collins

WR/DB

Talen Lovezzola

WR/DB

Kyle Johns

WR/DB

Kaden Cheatham

P/K

Elijah Griffin

Head Coach: Baker Woodward

Jacob Johnson

Assistant Coaches: Colton Boyle, Diontae Trawick, Jasen Cheatham, Kempie Womble, Austin Amick

Head Coach: John Adams

Assistant Coaches: Kendrick Callier, Deont'e Fox, Marlon Moor, Terrance Hill Jr.,

WWW.GHSA.NET | 25

PHOTO COURTESY OF CADY STUDIOS & SHELLY CULVER

2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Class 2A

Rockmart vs. Pierce County Tuesday, December 12 | 1:00 PM By Najeh Wilkins

ROCKMART YELLOW JACKETS 12-2, REGION 7, NO. 1 SEED

ockmart has made the state championship in two of the past five seasons and looks to finish the job this time around. They have a well-balanced rushing attack with Brent Washington (885 rushing yards), JD Davis (745 rushing yards), and Nahzir Tuner (630 rushing yards). Together, the trio has combined for 2,260 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns this season. The Yellow Jackets also have a dynamic junior wide receiver in Tristan Anderson who has 1,058 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Anderson has five games this season with over 100 yards receiving. Rockmart defeated Washington (28-0), Union County (56-14), Toombs County (45-21), and Cook (34-24) en route to a state championship berth. In their semifinal win against Cook, Washington rushed for three touchdowns as the Yellow Jackets pulled away in the fourth quarter. Rockmart has reached 12 wins for the first time since 2018 when they played for a state title.

2023 RESULTS CEDARTOWN...........................................13-12 L CASS .................................................... 24-23 W DALTON..................................................21-14 L IRWIN COUNTY ..................................... 28-16 W MODEL ................................................. 45-14 W HARALSON COUNTY ................................48-6 W MURRAY COUNTY.................................... 57-0 W 26 | WWW.GHSA.NET

GORDON CENTRAL ..................................43-7 W FANNIN COUNTY ................................... 48-14 W NORTH MURRAY .....................................59-7 W WASHINGTON .........................................28-0 W UNION COUNTY .................................... 56-14 W TOOMBS COUNTY ................................. 45-21 W COOK ................................................... 34-24 W

PIERCE COUNTY BEARS 13-1, REGION 3, NO. 1 SEED

ierce County improved to 13-1 for the third time in program history after a 35-7 win against state runner-up Fitzgerald. It was a game where their best offensive player Caden McGatha put on a clinic and rushed for 328 yards and five touchdowns. He ran or passed on 53 of the 55 plays in the semifinal game. McGatha has thrown for 1,623 yards and 20 touchdowns and has rushed for 1,331 yards and 16 touchdowns. In addition to McGatha, Pierce County has a great playmaker in junior wide receiver Joe Drew. Drew has 592 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. His ability to spread the field has been paramount. The Bears have beaten their last seven opponents by double-digits. They defeated ACE Charter in the first round 42-7, Laney 35-14 in the second round, and Fellowship Christian 4917 in the quarterfinals. On the road to the final, the defense has held opponents to under 12 points a game.

2023 RESULTS JEFF DAVIS ............................................. 41-0 W METTER ................................................ 47-10 W LIBERTY COUNTY ....................................49-6 W CHARLTON COUNTY ................................48-6 W BRANTLEY COUNTY .................................56-8 W APPLING COUNTY ...................................17-14 L TOOMBS COUNTY ..................................17-14 W

WINDSOR FOREST ...................................44-0 W VIDALIA ..................................................35-7 W TATTNALL COUNTY .................................. 31-0 W ACE CHARTER .........................................42-7 W LANEY .................................................. 35-14 W FELLOWSHIP CHRISTIAN ........................ 49-17 W FITZGERALD............................................35-7 W

DECEMBER 11-13, 2023

ROCKMART VS. PIERCE COUNTY CLASS 2A SKINNY

Rockmart and Pierce County will meet for the first time in the state championship, and both come in as the No. 1 seed from their respective regions. Rockmart is playing in its sixth state championship and is seeking a state final win for the first time since 1950. Under head coach Biff Parson, the Yellow Jackets have won seven consecutive region championships and are winners of 48 consecutive region games. Pierce County is seeking their second championship in four years. Head coach Ryan Herring led the Bears to their first state back in 2020 when they won 13 games. Pierce County's dominance over the last few seasons has been impressive. They have five consecutive 11-win seasons, the first time that has been accomplished in school history.

ROCKMART YELLOW JACKETS

PIERCE COUNTY BEARS

(Rockmart, GA.) • Black & Gold

(Blackshear, GA.) • Blue & Silver

Name

Gr.

Pos.

Bobby High

JD Davis

RB/QB

Rayshaun Ware

WR/LB

Tristian Anderson

WR/DB

Jamari Samples

RB/DB

Anson High

DB/LB

Deterick Stribling

WR/DB

Rakaylin Glover

WR/DB

Lincoln Stollberg

K/P

Hagen Sharp

Grayson Draught

TE/LB

Camaal Williams

WR/DB

Peyton Fannin

Luke Clay

TE/LB

Jhase Whatley

RB/LB

Mason Allen

TE/DL

Maxin Ware

RB/LB

Zion McCrary

TE/DL

Ashton Gray

OL/DL

Amari Harris

RB/DB

Jaiden Thompson

OL/DL

Quin Glover

WR/DB

Nate Davis

TE/LB

J'Veon Griffin

RB/LB

Devin McCoy

OL/DL

Mason Williams

WR/LB

Samuel Brown

OL/DL

Jake Bailey

WR/DB

Demarion Martin

OL/DL

Calliyon Thompson

Braxton Waddell

OL/DL

WR/LB

Bryson Hook

OL/DL

Aiden Wright

Malachi Jones

RB/DB

Cason Woods

OL/DL

Jake Gravitt

TE/LB

Clinton Parker

OL/DL

JJ Stocks

Kielan Burge

OL/DL

Kannon Jones

RB/DB

Noah King

OL/DL

Kylier Finley

WR/LB

Easton Adams

OL/DL

Brent Washington

RB/LB

Octavion Lester

OL/DL

Tyree McCrary

RB/DB

Jordan Arteaga

OL/DL

Qua Alexander

RB/DB

Jy'Quice McCrary

OL/DL

JT Taylor

RB/LB

Bricen Floyd

OL/DL

Nahzir Turner

RB/LB

Caden Mahoney

OL/DL

Everett Adams

WR/DB

Nick Swindall

OL/DL

Gavin Granados

TE/LB

Tylar Mrzywka

OL/DL

Jayden Helms

RB/LB

Sully Johnson

OL/DL

Reece Owens

TE/DL

TJ Hutchins

OL/DL

Shannon Harkness

WR/LB

Jose Alegria

K/P

Head Coach: Biff Parson

Assistant Coaches: Rhett Parson, Nick Sikes, Jesse Lynch, Tracy Malone, Alan Pledger

# 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 41

Name Jah Evans Nigel Brown Tahji Gary Carson Sloan Eli Smith Caden McGatha Joe Drew Reid Smith Marquez Leggett Wade DiBiase Campbell Strickland Johnny Stone Chris Hedrick Mark Sweet Jones Herrin Drake Dowling Dixon Morris Grant Thrift Braxton McCook Lamarion Jordan Kalab Lashley Garrett Stevenson Sam Braddock Luke Thomas DJ White Rowan McCrea Cecil Reese Jae'Veon Williams Landen Apostolopoulos Braden McKendree Kade Meeks Chance Williams Ocean Henderson Amir McKennzie Terry Gibbs Mychal Jackson Brayden James Zae Oneal

Gr. RB/DB WR/DB RB/DB TE/LB WR/DB QB/DB WR/DB WR/DB RB/LB RB/LB TE/LB TE/LB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB QB/LB TE/LB WR/DB LB/RB WR/DB LB/WR WR/K WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB RB/LB RB/LB WR/DB TE/DB K WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB RB/LB RB/LB

Pos. 10 10 11 12 12 11 11 11 10 11 10 12 12 11 11 10 11 10 10 10 12 10 11 10 12 10 9 9 12 9 10 9 9 9 9 9 9 9

42 43 44 45 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 77 78 79 81 84 89 90

JT Boyett Cody Musgrove Jagger Young Rylan Kicklighter Reeve Graham Tymere Monroe Bryson Hutcheson Carson Hope Colson Gambrell Camson Sapp AJ Waters Elijah Howard Cole McGatha Dylan Figueroa Hudson Boatright Logan Clark Alejandro Perez K'Don Lashley Dillon Perkins Logan Spivy Dewey Fowler Britton Morgan Kamden Kicklighter Trent Griffin Jeffrey Walley Trenton Kennedy Kingston Kicklighter Matthew Adams Mattox Thompson Cayden Braddock Jackson Williams Rayne Campbell Zach Lee Brooks Edenfield Diego Gurrola Jamil Strickland Riggs Mock Rashard Taylor

WR/DB WR/LB TE/LB TE/LB TE/LB WR/DB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB DL

9 9 9 9 9 9 12 12 11 12 10 11 12 9 11 11 10 11 12 9 10 10 10 11 9 9 10 10 9 9 12 9 10 11 9 9 9 12

Head Coach: Ryan Herring

Assistant Coaches: Swane Morris, Randall Shoultz, Kevin stevenson, Barry King

WWW.GHSA.NET | 27

2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

28 | WWW.GHSA.NET

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2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Class A Division 1 Swainsboro vs. Prince Avenue Monday, December 11 | 4:00 PM By Seth Ellerbee

SWAINSBORO TIGERS 12-2, REGION 2 NO. 3 SEED

he Tigers began playing football in one way or the other in 1919 but didn’t see playoff success until a semifinals appearance in 1964. The team appeared in the quarterfinals or semifinals from 1972 to 1978 but a just spattering of playoff appearances between 1978 and the 2000 Class 3A championship under coach Rayvan Teague. More recently under coach Scott Roberts, who took over the job in 2017, Swainsboro featured in the 2021 semifinals and last year’s championship game. The team’s trio of quality runners could disrupt the Prince Avenue defense. Senior Jordon Williams has 133 carries for 1,212 yards and 16 touchdowns; junior Qindarius Brown has 132 carries for 992 yards and 14 touchdowns, and senior Demello Jones has 129 carries for 1,160 yards and 10 touchdowns. The trio combine for 40 of the team’s 54 rushing touchdowns. Jones is 14-of-33 passing for 300 yards and six touchdowns.

2023 RESULTS METTER ..................................................39-7 W WASHINGTON COUNTY............................46-6 W JEFF DAVIS .............................................32-0 W DODGE COUNTY ..................................... 11-7 W EMANUEL COUNTY INST. ....................... 27-12 W IRWIN COUNTY .......................................26-0 W JEFFERSON COUNTY................................54-7 W 30 | WWW.GHSA.NET

EAST LAURENS........................................63-0 W BLECKLEY COUNTY ................................. 21-20 L DUBLIN ..................................................41-20 L METTER ..................................................20-0 W LAMAR COUNTY ...................................... 18-6 W ELBERT COUNTY....................................34-28 W BROOKS COUNTY ...................................24-17 W

PRINCE AVENUE CHRISTIAN WOLVERINES 13-1, REGION 5, NO. 1 SEED

n Prince Avenue’s 49-14 semifinals victory against upset-minded Bryan County, Philo, who has committed to Georgia Tech, was 23-of-31 passing for 490 yards and four touchdowns to get within reach of the GHSA all-time passing record, despite the Wolverines losing one playoff game due to forfeit in the first round. Hudson Hill (two touchdowns), C.J. Dockery (1) and Nick Hurley (1) were Philo’s targets in the semifinal victory. The Wolverines have lost one game since the program’s 52-34 victory over Swainsboro in the title game last season and it came against Class 3A then-No. 5 Mary Persons on the road 45-25. Since then, the Wolverines went undefeated through Region 5-Division I and beat Athens Christian (forfeit), Mount Vernon 72-41, Irwin County 41-7 and Bryan County to return to the championship game. In 2020, Prince Avenue won the Class A Private championship

2023 RESULTS HAMMOND (SC).................................... 42-13 W NASHVILLE CHRISTIAN (TN) .....................42-0 W ATHENS ACADEMY ................................ 52-21 W MONROE AREA ..................................... 45-17 W ELCA .................................................... 58-18 W PENSACOLA CATHOLIC (FL) ...................56-20 W MARY PERSONS ..................................... 45-28 L

OGLETHORPE COUNTY ............................49-0 W JASPER COUNTY ................................... 56-13 W SOCIAL CIRCLE ........................................49-3 W ATHENS CHRISTIAN .................................... FF W MOUNT VERNON ................................... 72-41 W IRWIN COUNTY ....................................... 41-7 W BRYAN COUNTY .................................... 49-14 W

DECEMBER 11-13, 2023

SWAINSBORO VS. PRINCE AVE. CHR. CLASS A- DIVISION 1 SKINNY

It’s Aaron Philo and history. Philo, Prince Avenue Christian’s quarterback, needs to pass for 300 yards to tie and 301 yards to surpass Trevor Lawrence (13,902 yards) to set a new GHSA all-time passing record. He’ll get that chance in Monday’s Class A Division I state championship game against Swainsboro. Swainsboro is trying for the program’s second title and first since winning the 2000 Class 3A championship. The Tigers moved past Elbert County 34-28 in the quarterfinals and Brooks County 24-17 in the semis to earn the championship berth. Preferring the run, Swainsboro likely will have three 1,000yard rushers by the time the state championship game is over. Prince Ave’s prolific passing attack against Swainsboro’s stout run game is a great matchup.

SWAINSBORO TIGERS

PRINCE AVE. CHR. WOLVERINES

(Swainsboro, GA.) • Black & Gold

(Bogart, GA.) • Navy Blue & Gold

Name

Gr.

Pos.

Arturo Wilton

Name

Gr.

Pos.

Luke Gowder

TE/LB

DeMello Jones

DB/WR

Colton Braswell

DB/WR

Kyler Giddens

Baxter Carbine

RB/LB

Bryson Tarver

DB/QB

Daivion Douglas

DB/WR

Hudson Hill

WR/DB

Mac Bradley

RB/LB

Shannon Benjamin

DB/WR

Elijah Holley

DL/TE

Brody Tolbert

WR/DB

Peyton Talmadge

RB/LB

LJ Morgan

DB/WR

Allen Farley

LB/FB

CJ Dockery

WR/DB

Aidan Campbell

WR/DB

Jordon Williams

DB/RB

Jayden Wilcher

DB/WR

Connor Causby

RB/DB

Daron Coleman

DL/FB

Ashton Coleman

WR/DB

Jaydon Worthen

FB/DL

Luke Darling

RB/DB

Jylleris Williams

DB/WR

Brooks David

Aiden Foskey

OL/DL

Brice Williamson

TE/QB

Jerrod Steward

LB/FB

Fields Kirkland

RB/LB

Kason Palmer

OL/DL

Brody Rogers

WR/DB

Jabios Smith

LB/RB

Chip Dickens

WR/DB

Qin Brown

DB/RB

Trey Turner

OL/DL

Caleb Musser

Boss Boucek

Kason Edenfield

DB/QB

Garrett Worthen

OL/DL

Trey Bennett

WR/DB

Aaron Philo

DB/QB

OL/DL

Walker Adcock

Recardo Lockett

Christian Tarver

Jake Bobo

QB/DB

RB/LB

DB/WR

OL/DL

Jackson Lord

Jaylen Clark

Rentavious Brown

Gaines Scoggins

WR/DB

OL/LB

DB/RB

OL/DL

Bo Powell

Marco Danford

Shanon Ricks

Cole Whitworth

WR/DB

OL/DL

DB/QB

OL/DL

Jake Atha

Simon Gardner

Kadorian Benjamin

Blaine Pittman

OL/DL

LB/WR

Caleb Long

Ryan Carson

Lamarqus Webb

Thornton Hester

TE/LB

OL/DL

DB/WR

Maddox Robertson

Noah Christian

Schuyler Coney

Nick Hurley

TE/DE

OL/DL

LB/RB

Isiah Brown

Christian Garrett

Daveyhon Williams

Jack Lanier

TE/DE

OL/DL

DB/WR

Wendell McLeod

Austin Head

Ashton McCastle

22 23

Kam'Ron Tillman

DB/WR

Jarvon Moody

OL/DL

Colin Durning

RB/LB

Harrison Alverson

OL/DL

Wesley Reese

LB/FB

Brian Gregory

OL/DL

Brock Bowling

WR/DB

Caleb Chandler

OL/DL

Peyton Mason

DB/WR

Tristan Poole

OL/DL

Beau Cochran

RB/LB

Cody Mitchell

OL/DL

Ajontae Floyd

FB/DL

Deontae Walker

OL/DL

Luke Childress

WR/DB

Daniel Schroeder

OL/DL

Shane Gamiza

LB/FB

Xavier Strobridge

OL/DL

Beau McCullough

RB/DB

Aaron Head

OL/DL

TJ Curry

LB/TE

Joseph Esparza

OL/DL

Gideon Garland

WR/DB

Alex Head

OL/DL

Marcus Watkins

DE/FB

Thomas Hancock

OL/DL

Solomon Garland

WR/DB

Mason Townsend

OL/DL

Derrick Hughes

DB/WR

Robert Andrews

OL/DL

Tyler Denny

P/K

Gabe Prince

OL/DL

Keyshun Young

DB/WR

Elijah Linton

OL/DL

Joey Bunnell

WR/DB

Luke Milner

WR/DB

Head Coach: Scott Roberts

Assistant Coaches: Dwight Smith, Chase Giddens, Ashley Hooks, Pippin Davis, David Ray

Head Coach: Greg Vandagriff

Assistant Coaches: Rob Ridings, Jon Richt, Rod Dollar, Clayton Ogle, Kennan Hagan

WWW.GHSA.NET | 31

2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Class A Division 2 Bowdon vs. Manchester Monday, December 11 | 7:00 PM By Seth Ellerbee

BOWDON RED DEVILS 12-2, REGION 7 NO. 1 SEED

he Red Devils feature a three-pronged offensive attack with quarterback Kyler McGrinn’s legs and arms coupled with a stout running back in Jordan Beasley. The offensive onslaught begins with McGrinn. He is 110-of-177 passing for 1,908 yards and 24 touchdowns and has run 215 times for 1,965 yards and 30 touchdowns. The threat at the quarterback position is accompanied by Beasley, who has 150 carries for 1,335 yards and 17 touchdowns. McGrinn and Beasley combine for 47 of the team’s 55 rushing touchdowns. Senior Devan Powell has 17 carries for 242 yards and four touchdowns while freshman Connor Daniel adds two rushing touchdowns. Sophomore Kaiden Prothro has 32 receptions for 809 yards and 12 touchdowns to lead receivers. Powell has 14 receptions for 177 yards and four touchdowns, Beasley adds four touchdown receptions and sophomore Berkley Perkins has 26 receptions for 313 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Chris Wyatt has six catches for 135 yards and three touchdowns.

2023 RESULTS MANCHESTER ........................................ 21-20 L CENTRAL-CARROLL ..................................34-13 L BREMEN ............................................... 42-16 W TATTNALL SQUARE ................................ 40-13 W DADE COUNTY ...................................... 49-15 W TEMPLE ................................................42-20 W ST. FRANCIS............................................55-7 W 32 | WWW.GHSA.NET

FOREST PARK ....................................... 63-14 W CHRISTIAN HERITAGE ............................ 48-17 W MT. ZION-CARROLL................................ 63-14 W TAYLOR COUNTY .....................................56-0 W GREENE COUNTY ..................................28-23 W DOOLY COUNTY ....................................55-28 W SCHLEY COUNTY ................................... 35-31 W

MANCHESTER BLUE DEVILS 11-2, REGION 6 NO. 2 SEED

ince its 1997 championship victory, Manchester has not advanced past the quarterfinals in six tries. The Blue Devils prefer the run, with juniors Qua Cooper and Darius Favors combining for 20 touchdowns. Cooper has 112 carries for 1,042 yards and 10 touchdowns; Favors has 124 carries for 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns. Keelan Whitaker has 49 carries for 450 yards and four touchdowns, Javon Favors adds 31 carries for 167 yards and three touchdowns, senior Caron Long has two rushing touchdowns and juniors Kiwan Anderson, Ken’derius Hines and Daryus Bryant each have one rushing touchdown. Junior Bobby Ellison leads the team in tackles with 89 solo and averages seven tackles per game. Javon Favors has 89 solo tackles and junior Justus Terry has a teamleading 13 sacks with six tackles for loss and has made 74 solo tackles. The stout defense has accounted for 12 interceptions and nine fumble recoveries.

2023 RESULTS BOWDON.............................................. 21-20 W COLUMBUS .............................................54-3 W LAMAR COUNTY ......................................17-14 L MARION COUNTY ....................................35-3 W CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY .......................46-0 W MACON COUNTY ..................................... 18-7 W GREENVILLE ........................................... 42-0 W

SCHLEY COUNTY ...................................... 27-7 L TAYLOR COUNTY .....................................42-0 W MT. ZION-CARROLL..................................49-0 W JOHNSON COUNTY..................................35-0 W CLINCH COUNTY ................................... 21-17 W TELFAIR COUNTY................................... 35-13 W

DECEMBER 11-13, 2023

BOWDON VS. MANCHESTER CLASS A- DIVISION 2 SKINNY

Defending-champion Bowdon will face a Manchester program that’s trying to win its second overall and first state title since 1997. Bowdon has three championships – 1971, 1992 and last season. Bowdon is in the title game after beating top-ranked Schley County 35-31 in what was a rematch of last years’ championship game won by Bowdon 39-31. Manchester earned its championship appearance after beating Telfair County 35-13 in the semifinals, marking the program’s first championship appearance since it won in 1997. Both teams prefer the run game, and the matchup could be a rushing war or attrition. Bowdon averages 292 rushing yards to 141 passing yards while Manchester relies on the run with 288 rushing to 43 passing yards per game. Manchester defeated Bowdon 21-20 in this year’s season-opener.

BOWDON RED DEVILS

MANCHESTER BLUE DEVILS

(Bowdon, GA.) • Red & Black

(Manchester, GA.) • Blue & White

Name

Gr.

Pos.

Brandon Jones

FB/LB

Name

Gr.

Pos.

Ty Turner

TE/DE

Kaiden Prothro

WR/OLB

Xavier Lee

WR/DB

0/70

Justus Terry

DL/TE

Lee Campbell

TE/DE

Kyler McGrinn

QB/DB

Sawyer Smith

WR/DB

Javon Favors

LB/RB

Tommy Bowles

TE/DE

Mason Daniel

RB/LB

Austin Crumbley

OLB/WR

Daryus Bryant

CB/QB/WR

Le"Angelo Campbell

TE/DE

Chris Wyatt

WR/DB

Jaxon Ledbetter

LB/FB

Darius Favors

S/RB

Markelyn King

RB/DB

Berkley Perkins

WR/DB

Zatavien Vilsaint

OL/DL

Qua Cooper

RB/FS/S

Chase Traylor

C/DL

Dylan McGrinn

Lane Nolen

OL/DL

Kiwan Anderson

CB/RB

Jaden Revell

MLB

Devan Powell

QB/DB

Jason Anariba

OL/DL

Zycurious Alford

FS/WR

Brandon Smith

DL/DE

Luke Windom

RB/DB

Zatorien Vilsaint

OL/DL

Caron Long

FB/LB

Macai Robinson

OL/DL

Jordan Beasley

QB/LB

Jackson Edwards

OL/DL

Keelan Whitaker

FS/RB

Tovorris Ledbetter

C/DL

Dylan Akins

FB/DL

Austin Stephens

OL/DL

Jayden Terry

WR/CB

Brandon Dunlap

G/LB

Kentrez Lay

TE/DE

Davion Houston

OL/DL

Benji Kempson

RB/S

Julian Rosario

T/NG

Conner Daniel

QB/OLB

Stewart Powell

OL/DL

Jayden Hodo

QB/OLB

Cash White

OL/DL

JaMichael Jones

RB/DB

Brayden Swafford

OL/DL

Stevontae Weaver

WR/S

Kelvonius Johnson

OL/DL

Keilan Prothro

RB/DB

Jack South

WR/LB

Demauri Revell

QB/FS

Tamaury Lockhart

T/DL

Jack South

TE/OLB

Coby Wiggins

OL/DL

Christian Whitaker

QB/WR

Javaris Johnson

OL/DL

Jyquavious Marshall

WR/LB

Brandon Jones

OL/DL

Zander Langley

WR/OLB

Phisher Perkins

OL/DL

Ken’derius Hines

RB/S

Jeremiah Johnson

T/DL

Tanner Britt

WR/DB

Brody Moon

OL/DL

Zyterrious Gray

TE/DE

Justin Howard

T/DL

Derrick Phillips

WR/DB/QB

Hunter Kendrick

OL/DL

Nick Brown

K/LS

Demonta Boyd

C/DT

Jaxson Jones

TE/DE

JJ McEwen

OL/DL

Kaleb Gay

OLB/WR/FS

Zyion Denson

G/DL

Malykie Vickers

OL/DL

Mason Richie

OL/DL

Bobby Ellison

FB/LB

Colby Gates

OT/DT

Sam Hart

WR/DB

Colby Stanford

OL/DL

Ja’Cori Anthony

RB/OLB

Rogellia Padillia

K/OL

Marcus Harper

TE/DL

Jaylen Simons

OL/DL

Aumoni White

RB/LB

Brontae Jones

WR/S

Layton Hernandez

TE/LB

Austin Bryant

OL/DL

Jack Underwood

K/P

Patrick Helms

MLB/G

Josiah Freeman

WR/DB

John Harden

OL/DL

Jahmari Carter

WR/CB

Martice Hinton

OL/DL

Corey Stanford

DB/WR

Michael Walters

OL/DL

Devourious Favors

RB/S

Keontay Crawl

DL/OL

Head Coach: Richard Fendley Jr.

Assistant Coaches: Brad Yarbrough, Blake Morgan, David Ahead, Tim Perkins , Clayton Young

Head Coach: Stephen Holmes

Assistant Coaches: Cartarsman Bryant, Griffin Gibson, Kyle Kirby, Demonta Prather, Tracy Prather

WWW.GHSA.NET | 33

2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

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DECEMBER 11-13, 2023

POPE GREYHOUNDS

(Marietta, GA) • Blue, Gray & White Head Coach: Kevin Fraser

Name

Pos.

Gr.

Danielle Morgan

Abbey Bensman

S/CB/WR

Syra Patel

Sarah Gentry

Kourtney Kalman

CB/WR

Julia Acker

CB/R

Cora Anne Davis

Pope vs. Allatoona Wednesday, December 13 | 11:00 AM

Giselle Aitken

Elizabeth Kelly

Laila Nixon

LB/B

By Najeh Wilkins

Faith Stokes

R/B

Olivia O'Connor

RB/WR/LB

Riley Bensman

Lucy Cantando

Mac Wiley

Carly Oubs

WR/CB

Kate Davenport

Meryl Palazzo

C/LB

DIVISION 3

Flag Football

POPE

fter having their season end in the quarterfinals in 2022, Pope got revenge and defeated state champion Blessed Trinity in the semifinals 7-6 to advance to the state championship for the first time in program history. Blessed Trinity jumped out to an early lead in the second quarter and Pope answered in the fourth with a touchdown. Pope’s defense stiffened with less than 30 seconds in the game forcing an interception and nearly a pick-six after their defensive back made a play on the ball. Pope defeated Central Gwinnett 31-0 in the quarterfinals, Valdosta 40-0 in the second round, and Pebblebrook 34-0 in the first round. The Greyhounds are led by a very talented offense including Carly Oubs (D3 Area 3 First Team Offense), Riley Bensman (D3 Area 3 First Team Offense), and Olivia O’Connor (D3 Area 3 Player of the Year). The Greyhounds have gotten better every year and have now won their first Area championship in school history.

ALLATOONA

fter a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to Milton in the semifinals in 2022, A Allatoona surpassed 20 wins this season for the first time in school history and is seeking the program’s first-ever state title after a 28-0 victory against

Sequoyah. Allatoona will face a familiar opponent in the state championship in Pope. Pope won the earlier matchup on November 2, 40-7. Since that loss, the Buccaneers have won 12 consecutive games. In that 12-game span, Allatoona is allowing an average of 2 points per game and has held opponents scoreless in nine of those games. Offensively, the Buccaneers have scored 273 points and surpassed 20 points in seven of the 12 games during the win streak. Allatoona’s path to the title game went through Hughes (18-6), Alpharetta (15-5-1), Woodstock (16-10), and Sequoyah (14-3). Defense is a critical part of the team’s identity and a reason why the Buccaneers are competing for a championship.

ALLATOONA BUCCANEERS (Acworth, GA) • Red, Black & Silver Head Coach: Jordan Davis

# 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28

Name Kiera Daniels Jasmine Barnes Julia DeVaughn Sophia Settle Meaghan Tesler Maci Strickland Caitlin Bird Lyla Paradiso Ella Glassmeyer Anna Varner Ava Glassmeyer Aubrey Moore Kinsley Gerenyi Regan Fuchs Ava Duvall Aoife Flynn Kate Lassiter Avery Austin Nakiya Thatch Ava Haag Hanora Watson Hazel Shultz Kennedy Austin

Pos. WR/CB WR/R LB/P WR/CB LB QB/LB CB QB WR C/WR WR WR/S WR/LB C/LB B/CB WR/S R WR/S WR/R WR/LB C/LB C/R/LB WR/CB

Gr. 12 12 11 12 11 12 11 10 9 11 11 10 11 11 9 12 11 9 9 11 12 12 11

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2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

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DECEMBER 11-13, 2023

GREENBRIER WOLFPACK

(Evans, GA) • Hunter Green & Gold Head Coach: Daniel Jordan

Name

Pos.

Maggie Pangle

WR/DB

Aaliyah Silver

WR/LB

Finley Jones

WR/DB

Greer Massey

RB/R

Alisha Mikell

Carrington Meyers

Kenzie Horton

Greenbrier vs. Lithia Springs Tuesday, December 12 | 11:00 AM

Darcy Bridwell

Jai Sheffield

Sarah Newland

By Najeh Wilkins

Ari Boone

RB/R

Sophie Campanaro

Mamie Cate Pangle

QB/DB

Maziah Driskell

Bailey Chauvin

Presley McDermott

WR/DB

Hailey Valentino

Avery Simpson

WR/DB

Abby Lester

C/LB

DIVISION 2

Flag Football

GREENBRIER

fter a tough defensive battle, Greenbrier is headed to the state championA ship thanks to a red zone touchdown by Carrington Myers, in what would be the only touchdown of the semifinal game. Kenzie Horton is having an incred-

ible season and leads a formidable passing attack that is averaging 134 passing yards a game. Horton is 213-of-319 passing for 2,183 yards and 39 touchdowns this year. The Wolfpack have three receivers that have been dominant this season, and the ball has been spread between the trio. Maggie Pangle is the leading receiver with 75 catches for 729 yards and 13 touchdowns. Not far behind is Aaliyah Silver who has 60 catches for 639 yards and 12 touchdowns, then Presley McDermott with 54 catches for 663 yards and five touchdowns. In the second round and quarterfinals, Greenbrier outscored its opponents by a combined 73 points. The Wolfpack has scored 30 points in three of the last four contests they've played.

LITHIA SPRINGS

Springs advanced to the state championship after a 12-6 overtime victory Lterithia against Loganville and is seeking its second consecutive state championship afwinning in 2022. The Lions were able to get a stop on fourth down in overtime

to punch their ticket to the finals. In their run to the state championship, they beat East Coweta 27-7, Lakeside-Evans 14-0, and Jackson County 20-0. Lithia Springs has a balanced offense averaging 90 passing yards a game and 80 yards on the ground. Nevaeh Shedrick reached her first 1,000-yard rushing season in her career and has 21 total touchdowns this season. Senior quarterback Rashyia Minnex-Moss is 115-of-190 passing for 1,462 yards and 25 touchdowns. Defensively, Lithia Springs have forced 28 interceptions and are led by Hannah McIver who leads the team with 12 picks and 252 interception return yards. McIver is also the leading receiver for the Lions with 45 catches for 690 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Gr.

LITHIA SPRINGS LIONS

(Lithia Springs, GA) • Green & Gold Head Coach: Kendra Pleasants

# 00 1 2 3 4 8 9 10 11 12 16 17 20 21 22 24 25 30 34 45 65

Name Aniyah Kendrick Rashyia Minnex-Moss MyAngel Ross Jayden Graham Hannah McIver Jade Linder Nevaeh Shedrick Jasmine McDowell Brielle Holland Jaylin Bryant Leila Essex Anaya Harrison Makayla Williams Emmani Roberts Ari Holton LeAshia Miller Mikhayla Dowthard Da'Nylia Spivey LaKiyah Hurst Ksaja West Bethany King

Pos. LB QB WR/DB WR/DB WR/S R RB/LB WR/DB WR/LB LB WR/DB DB LB RB/R WR C WR/DB LB DB QB K

Gr. 12 12 11 11 12 10 12 11 12 11 10 11 11 12 11 12 11 12 12 11 12

WWW.GHSA.NET | 37

2023 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

38 | WWW.GHSA.NET

DECEMBER 11-13, 2023

SOUTHEAST BULLOCH YELLOW JACKETS (Brooklet, GA) • Blue & Gold Head Coach: Marci Cochran

DIVISION 1

Flag Football

Southeast Bulloch vs. North Oconee Monday, December 11 | 2:00 PM By Najeh Wilkins

SOUTHEAST BULLOCH

outheast Bulloch is looking to win its third consecutive state championship S after clinching a finals berth thanks to its 20-12 win against New Hampstead. The Yellow Jackets haven’t lost a game in the three-year history of ﬂag football in the GHSA and are led by senior Korine Talkington who has thrown for 2,591 yards and 47 touchdowns. Alex Odom and Natalya Odom are her favorite targets. They have combined for 1,616 yards and 35 touchdowns. The Yellow Jackets have a strong passing attack that is averaging 169 yards a game and a team that can score at will. Southeast Bulloch has scored 30 plus points in eight of its games this season and eclipsed 20 points in every playoff game. The Yellow Jackets' defense has also been strong as of late, forcing five shutouts in their last six games. A win in the finals would make them the first-ever three-time undefeated champion in GHSA ﬂag football history.

NORTH OCONEE

orth Oconee is in the state championship for the first time in program histoN ry. After losing their final regular season game against rival North Oconee 13-7, the Titans have won four consecutive games. In the first two rounds, they

beat their opponents by an average margin of 33 points. Calvary Day posed a tougher challenge in the quarterfinals, but North Oconee came out on top 6-2. Columbia was the final opponent standing in their way and they defeated them 13-6 to play for a state title. The Titans won their first Area championship thanks to an 8-0 record and in three of the eight wins held their opponents scoreless. Their defense is playing some of their best football at the right time. In 2023, North Oconee had six shutouts compared to only four in 2022 and produced two shutouts in their last three games. The Titans have only allowed one team all season to score over 20 points (Loganville).

# 1 2 3 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

Name Dannie Whitchard Alex Odom Emma Cate Barron Jaci Kitchings Ella Faith Rountree Korine Talkington Jadyn Williams Lexie Cowart Hannah Griffin Natalya Odom Ava King Emily Grace Gay Paige Nelson Hali Long Kayla Adams Kayley Moore Addie Hood Madison Lanier Ella Rae Jernigan Laina Erickson Peyton Kemp Kristiana Tisby Kelsey Johnson Chloe Cochran Isabelle Cruz Marissa Waters Quentrell Reed Kamil Johnson Sloan Nesmith

Pos. WR/R WR/S QB/CB UB/R S/WR QB R WR/CB CB/WR WR/CB WR/CB WR/CB UB/R UB/R WR/LB/P LB/P WR/CB WR/CB WR/LB WR/CB R/UB R LB C WR/LB C/LB WR/LB WR/LB WR/S

Gr. 9 12 9 11 9 12 11 11 10 10 12 9 10 9 10 12 12 9 9 10 9 10 10 10 11 10 10 9 9

NORTH OCONEE TITANS

(Bogart, GA) • Scarlet, Gold & Black Head Coach: Jay Lasley

# 0 1 2 3 4 7 8 9 11 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 28 29 30 31 32 33 36 38 42 45 47

Name Trinity Greene Blake Wiekping Tatum Lunsford Addy Kohan Kria Desai Taylor Dillard Emery Harden Madelyn Hayes Olivia Dickerson Reese Riddle Ansley Breedlove Anna Thomas Ella Rittenger Taylor Kelly Lilly Branch Lucy Burruss Gabby Nguyen Ellen Pasternak Hayden Holland Alexis Favreau Kaylee Cassity Asher Sinclair Anslee Solodkii Grace Maddox Zoe Hill Maddy Peterson Catherine Cooper Marley Woodall Kyler Hammond Mavis Jones

Pos. WR/BLTZ WR/LB/CB RB/LB DB FS/C CB/WR QB/LB FS WR/MLB/C RB/LB WR BLTZ LB WR/DB RB/LB LB BLTZ RB/BLTZ WR/CB BLTZ/WR RB/LB/C WR/RB/CB WR/CB WR/FS WR/LB QB QB LB C/QB/LB C/LB

Gr. 10 11 12 9 10 10 9 10 12 12 9 12 10 10 11 10 12 10 10 10 11 11 11 12 10 9 10 10 9 10